Winter Beerfest 2013 Most Wanted List

There are many different factors that influence this list, primarily of which is dependent on audience demand; who has the biggest lines and draws the biggest crowds. Another factor is beer offerings, what these breweries are bringing to the festival that create a huge demand among those attending.

1. Short's Brewing Company – Bellaire

Short's is one of the biggest drawings at WBF, and for obvious reasons. Shorts excels in experimental brew, creating some of the most intriguing and unique beers in the state. Their standards are well loved, but it's the specialties that keep the crowds coming, beckoning them to the booth with their signature cylindrical tap setup with the giant rotating Shorts on top.

2. Darkhorse Brewing Company – Marshall

Darkhorse continually gathers a huge response at WBF, featuring bold craft beer across the board for the swarms of beer enthusiasts crowding their tables. Light, dark, or hoppy, they excel at it all. Thirsty patrons visit not only for their excellent standard offerings, but also for their extensive specialty selection, which includes their stunning One through Five Stout Series, One Oatmeal Stout, Too Cream Stout, Tres Blueberry Stout, Fore Smoked Stout, and Plead the Fifth Imperial Stout.

3. Founders Brewing Company – Grand Rapids

One of the best loved breweries in Michigan, most of us are familiar with their exceptional standard line, but their specialty offerings are where Founders really shines at WBF. Many of their hourly releases are some of the best rated beers in the world, drawing mind boggling lines, and is it ever worth the wait! Make sure you stop by the table and check out the release schedule, there are many beers on the list worth checking your watch for.

4. Brewery Vivant – Grand Rapids

One of the only Belgo-American breweries in the states, Brewery Vivant has made a huge name for itself this last year, most notably with their collaboration with New Belgium Brewing Company, producing Escoffier, a Bretta-Mild ale, which was the first canned Sour in the state. Vivant has been continually producing excellent and unique beer, and also features some of the best barrel aged sours in the region.

5. Kuhnhenn Brewing Co – Warren

Kuhnhenn is one of our state's great heavy hitters, handling a wide variety of styles with grace and solidity. They win medals regularly, most notably taking home a gold medal for their DRIPA (Double Rice IPA) at last year's GABF. Make sure to make your way over to their table this year and see for yourself!

6. Greenbush Brewing Company – Sawyer

Having just established themselves in the last three years, Greenbush has covered some serious ground since open. They excelled in bold, intense beer right from open, and specialize in American Ales and also dabble in some seriously bold Belgian offerings. You know that you can try any beer from this brewery and your palate is going to be taken for a ride.

7. Original Gravity BC – Milan

OGBC doesn't usually bring that many brews to the festival, but the ones that they do are quite impressive. They're one of the smaller breweries representing, but don't be fooled by their short lines, they come to festival to play ball.

Seek Out: Primordial Porter, Southpaw IPA, Bellywasher Scotch Ale

8. Right Brain Brewing Company – Traverse City

The biggest contender from the Traverse City market makes their way back to Beerfest this year, with a slew of new high gravity offerings that have been released on the market these last few months. Right Brain specializes in bold, but balanced, microbrew.

9. Oddside Ales – Grand Haven

Oddside specializes in smaller-production experimental beers. Sure, they're not as big as Short's, but that doesn't mean they're not worth checking out. Oddside maintains few standard brands, and the rest are all experimental and adjunct-infused takes on classic American and UK styles.

10. THE NEWCOMERS

A huge part of why people go to WBF is to check out the new breweries representing. Experience the new players in the Michigan brewing scene! Usually the event grows by around 3-5 breweries a year, but 2012 has brought 19 new breweries to this year's event! Here is a list of the Breweries representing for the first time this year:

Ben Darcie has been homebrewing since 2006 and is currently the Brewery Representative for Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids, MI. He also provides public and private Beer Education and is a Beer Writer for BeerAdvocate, I'm a Beer Hound and three other Michigan publications. He is also the founder of Experience Beer WM and the 9wk Grand Rapids Beer Tasting Class (est. 2010).